The present disclosure is related to a patient support apparatus that includes a control system for automatically calculating a weight offset for a scale system integrated into the patient support apparatus. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a patient support apparatus having a control system that gathers information regarding loads placed upon the patient support apparatus, determines whether non-patient loads have been placed upon the patient support apparatus, and automatically updates a weight offset to compensate for the non-patient loads placed upon the patient support apparatus.
Often, when a patient is in a care facility such as a hospital, the patient is placed on a patient support apparatus. Patients who are positioned on the patient support apparatus for extended periods have an increased risk of developing certain complications or injuries. For example, patients who are positioned on the patient support apparatus for an extended period of time may develop pressure ulcers. Various factors may result in a compromised skin condition that increases the potential of these nosocomial pressure ulcers occurring. In an effort to mitigate or prevent such complications and injuries, some patient support apparatuses use load information gathered from an integrated scale system to derive pressure set points for a dynamic support surface, which continually redistributes the pressure of the dynamic support surface against the patient's skin. Patient support apparatuses known in the art, however, do not make a distinction between loads that are attributable to the actual weight of the patient and loads that are attributable to the weight of non-patient items placed on the patient support apparatus such as, for example, medical equipment, personal effects, blankets, mechanical items, etc. As a result, the weight attributable to non-patient loads often causes errors in calculating the true weight of the patient, which in turn can lead to non-optimal pressure set points being derived for dynamic support surfaces.
In addition, caregivers often monitor the weight of a patient who is in a care facility to diagnose and treat certain medical conditions. For example, some caregivers closely monitor a patient's weight (e.g., weight loss or weight gain) throughout a course of treatment to determine, for example, whether the patient is retaining water. To facilitate making those determinations, some caregivers use an amount of weight calculated by the patient support apparatus upon which the patient is being supported. As discussed above, patient support apparatuses known in the art, however, do not make a distinction between loads that are attributable to the actual weight of the patient and loads that are attributable to the weight of non-patient items placed on the patient support apparatus. As a result, the weight attributable to non-patient loads may also cause the caregiver to incorrectly diagnose or treat certain medical conditions.